The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 24, 1925, Page 6

* THE DAILY WORKER Published by the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 2218 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IM. Phone Monroe 4712 SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mall (in Chicago only): By mail (outelde of Chicago): $8.00 per year $4.50 six monthe | $6.00 per year $3.50 six months $2.50 three months $2.00 three months Address all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER, 1118 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, tilinols a hin J. LOUIS ENGDAHL amen Mitttors WIELIAM F. DUNN {* MORITZ J. LOEB. Business Manager cn Wntered as second-class mall September 21, 1923, at the postofiice at Chi cago, lil, under the act of March 3, 1879. nent Advertising rates on application. <a 190 Propaganda for Dawes Plan The press of the United States has for weeks been carrying stories purporting to describe the economic conditions in Germany. An analysis of the reports reveals the most astonishing falsification. According to these reports Germany is steadily rising from the ruins of the world war and its aftermath that sent the mark crashing to such low levels that it became utterly worthless. As a matter of fact the Dawes plan for Germany, which was an inventory of the industrial resources of the country and a survey of the degree of exploitation that could be imposed upon German labor, had the effect when the first heavy loans were floated of slightly reviving industry. But no sooner was the plan made operative than the inherent contradictions of capitalism showed that the Dawes plan itself would produce a serious European crisis. England participated in the Dawes plan because she hoped that if\Germany were forced to pay enormous sums to'the debtor nations she could not sell her industrial products low enough to compete with British industry. The United States wanted to revive German in- dustry so that country would furnish a place for investments of bank By WILLIAM F, DUNNE ARTICLE Il. TS pre-convention strategy of forc- ing the left wing to fight for the right of Communists to belong to and hold office in the union to the exclu- sion of all other mass issues and thus narrowing the basis of the struggle, having failed disastrously, the Sigman machine decided to make a gesture, or rather a whole series of gestures, to- wards the left. % So in the first day of the convention the machine henchmen moved a vote of protest against the imprisonment of Benjamin Gitlow and thus set the stage for one of the most interesting examples of what mass pressure can foree labor reactionaries to do. The vote was carried unanimously and the “jmpartial chairman” hurried to Alba- ny where he remained in conference with Governor Smith. The release of Gitlow had been expected around the Christmas holidays but the Sigman machine, very close to the governor by reason of its acceptance of the rulings of his “impertial commission,” secured Gitlow’s release during the convention in order to build up its prestige against the left wing. The news of the Gitlow pardon was given to President Sigman over long-dist- |ance telephone and Sigman himself made the announcement to the con- vention. capital. Whereas Britain utilized the scheme with one object, the United States had an opposing motive. Even the temporary revival in Germany weakened British in- dustry. Furthermore any tyro in the realm of economics knows that the productive capacity of the industries of the world is more than adequate to supply the markets of the world and that if German in- dustry is revived and brought back to the basis of 1914 it will create a crisis in industry everywhere. Why then do we have this exaggeration of the effectivenéss of the Dawes plan? On the one hand the capitalist press speaks. of the revival of Ger- many while deploring the pathetic condition of France. Some pub- lications actually compare the condition of the two countries and arrive at the conclusion that a similar plan should be imposed upon France. And a Dawes plan for France is the sum and substance of the propaganda in favor of the Dawes plan in Germany. Finance capital in the United States ever strives to find new spheres of investment, otherwise it will smother under its own ac- cumulation. But when it seeks places.of investment it. wants to create eondition most favorable to itself. The one fact to be kept in mind is that England and the United States are the two great contend- ing imperialist powers. Wall Street strives to crush Britain. This can only be achieved by creating powerful allies in Europe. If the franc is beaten down to such a point that a Dawes plan is imposed upon France, it will be handled by the United States alone, without Britain and against Britain. American bank capital, now dominat- ing Germany, will soon dominate France, then under, the aegis of bank capital can be brought about what France failed to accomplish by military might—the consolidation of one industrial unit em- bracing the iron of Loraine and the coal and coke of the Ruhr. Such an achievement will be a staggering blow to British,industry and a tremendous gain for American imperialism in its struggle against its only formidable imperialist rival. Every act in the arena of imperialist struggle brings nearer the time when the next world war will burst forth: The central point of working class strategy must be to realize this fact and prepare relentlessly and at any sacrifice to compat these prepara- tions for a new world slaughter. Capitalism Will Take Care of Mitchell Since the conviction by a court martial last week of Colonel Mitchell that publicity agent for the aircraft trust has beén regaled with offers of various kinds, mostly of a political nature. Mitchell, during the past few years in the army, has played a political role. The court martial decision forces him and his backers henceforth to play politics in the open. Already the chain of Hearst papers that supports the aircraft trust and tried to make a hero of this gaudy popinjay is urging him to go to Wisconsin and become a candidate for United States sen- ator. From the floor of the senate Mitchell could then continue his propaganda for a separate air force, or at least focus sufficient at tention upon the question to enable the aircraft trust to extort a greater share of loot from the government. But then it is question- able if Mitchell is qualified for this sort of thing.” He may turn out to be as ineffective and monotonous a jackass as that other military clown, Mr. Dawes. But Mitchell must be taken care of. So one Sol. Bloom, a Tam ’manyite congressman from New York City, recommends to Mayor- elect Jimmy Walker that Mitchell be appointed police commissioner of that city. Of late it has come to be the custom to select military men as directors of police departments. In the scab shop city of Philadelphia the notorious Smedley Butler, who as commander of the marines helped disperse the duly elected Haitian government at the points of bayonets for the glory of American imperialism, has « been head of the police department for the past few years. He was selected at a time when the purity hounds became alarmed at the widespread vice in the city. Butler was to scourge vice from the city. He ordered the policemen to wear their six-shooters outside their coats so they could easily be reached and brought into action. But that was only melodrama. Instead of cleaning up vice conditions in Philadelphia the policemen became mere advertisements for dives. In that benighted city a policeman standing in front of a place in- dicates that within is to be found either a bootlegger’s joint or a brothel. And, of course, under Butler’s administration in Philadelphia there is more police interference with public meetings of labor organ- izations than ever before in the history of. the city. His thugs and gunmen, when they are not busy protecting bootleggers and pimps, devote their time to trying to censure public speeches. Sunday “blue laws” are enforced everywhere but in the saloons and dives and churches: New York has -had many afflictions and would probably survive a siege of Mitchell, which would be one more reason why Tammany Hall must be upped before the rise of a-political party of labor in that city. dotin Sttembey tor the Workers* ——— and a new wubseription for the DAILY WORKER. THE DAILY WORKER Right and Left Wings in the I. L. G. W. Convention By baa clever maneyver served two urposes—thatsoef confusing the less ‘conscious and experienced mem- bers of the union as to the differences between the right and left and of making at possible for the machine to deliver enconiums of its good friend and brother-in-arms, Al Smith of Tam- many Hall. The close connection be- twen a “socialist” anion administra- tion and capitalist politicans is thus made beautifully clear to all who can read the signs aright. The rights vied with the left wing in supporting such issues as a labor party based on the trade unions, anti- fascisti and anti-ku klux klan resolu- tions but lost no opportunity to wage war on the Comme and the Com- munist Party by attempting to show, that only for the Communists, peace and harmony would <provall in the I. L, G. W. According to théSigmanites there are two kinds of ‘Cémmunists—good and bad. The bad‘dnes should not be allowed to join the union, hold office or be delegates to conventions. The good ones shoud be expelled. HE Marks case was an illuminating episode. An attempt was made to unseat him on thé grounds that in 1921, when broughtinto court during the aftermath of the»Palmer.raids, he had denied membérship in the Com- munist Party and by this act having shown his disloyalty to the class strug- gle, was obviously.unfit to be a dele- gate to the convention. Remember these were. the arguments of the bureaucrats and their followers, The gods have witnessed no more anilising sight than the that of Sigmanites, who have all but wrecked the union by a combination of truckling to capitalist politicians and expulsion of the most active and loyal mempers of the un- ion, appearing on the floor as apost- lés of uncompromising revolutionary morale in the courts of capitalism. The debate on this question, in which the Communists came thru with flying colors by showing that Marks had acted ynder instructions from the party, was one of the high spots of the convention. Unable to prove that Marks was a bad Communist the Sig- manites were forced to seat him, It having been shown that Marks was a good Communist, che machine was un- able to expel him owing to its defeat on this major issue before the conven- tion. The left wing bloc was ap- parently unshaken by this debate, non-Communist delegates fought strongly against the report of the cre- dential committee and the Sigmanites were compelled to abandon this direct line of attack, No such issue has ever before been debated on the floor of an A. F. of L. union convention and in itself is proof of the comparatively high level of political understanding in the I, L. G. W. N the discussions on world trade anion unity, recognition of Soviet Russia and the sending of a trade union delegation to the Soviet Union, the flag-waving and 100 per cent Am- ericanism noticeable in other unions when these subjects are debated, was entirely absent. The phraseology of the: social revo- lution is no novelty, in the I. L, G. W. and the machine contented itself with denouncing the Communists in true cfal-democratic style. Concessions ‘were made to the left and only the Communists were pilloried by er machine. In blaming the Communists, for their defeat the Sigmanites were cor- rect, As will be shown later, the Com- munist fraction in the I. L. G. W. con- vention was tar ffom functioning per- fectly, not any too clear as to the political line of the party and organ- izationally weak, but nevertheless constituted at once the cement and revolutionary leaven which bound the left wing together and ‘enabled it bring class clarity into’ discussions where the creation. of confusion would have been a victory for the machine. ITH 107 solid delegates out of a total of 285, and representing a clear majority of the membership, the left wing faced two dangers, One, the temptation to enter into\'a deal with the Sigmanites for ‘control of the union machinery; two,"the tempt- ation to secede and leave:the reaction- aries with a third or less of the mem- bership with almost complete control of the most important center, New York, in the hands of theleft. Following close upon*the; failure to split the non-party.*memberg;from the Communists, the Sigmanites’ disclosed a two-sided strategy. Approximately, it was supposed to. er as follows Coal Industry in the Soviet Union F the coalfields of the Soviet Union by far the most important is the Donetz basin, which before the war produced’90 per cent of,the total Rus- sian coal output. Unfortunately, it was exactly this area which was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the civil war; it was at one period separated from the Soviet Republics, and. the havoc wrought by the white guards and the destructive effects of war operations led to an enormous diminution in coal production. By 1921 the reconstruction of the industry in the Donetz basin had defi- nitely begun, and the succeeding years have witnessed a steady increase in output. In the other coalfields of the union there has been no such devasta- tion as in the Donetz basin, and the coal output has remained at a figure somewhat higher than that of pre-war years, increasing slightly during the \last few years. The progress of the revival in the coal industry is shown in the table printed below, giving the output of the various coalfields in re- ‘ent years and before the war. HE preponderating importance. of the Donetz basin is clearly seen. {ts relative share in the total produc- ion has increased during recent years. Nearly 30 per cent of its total output consists of anthracite, as compared with 15.18 per cent before the war. During the first half of the economic year Oct. 1, 1924—Sept. 30, 1925, the total coal output in the Soviet Union was 8,650,000 tons, the Donetz basin being responsible for 6,500,000 tons, an increase of 24 per cent over the output during the same period of the previous year. Together with increased production there has been a Striking improve- ment in the efficiency of working. In the Donetz basin the amount of coal used in the industry itself has decreas- ed from 30 per cent of the gross out- put in 1921-22 to 14.per cent in 1924-25, the corresponding. decrease for the Moscow basin being from 28 per cent to 7 per cent, and’ Siihilar decreases are shown by the éther coalfields. The average thonthly output per worker has goné tip enormously, in the Donetz basin thé ‘increase being from 5.65 tons per Worker (excluding clerical staff) in “1921-22 to 8.4 tons in 1924-25, while iti the Moscow basin the rise was from‘5.05 tons to 14.4 tohs during the ‘same’ period. ye great advance’ inade in the re- vival of the indastty and in improv- ing thé yield per worker have been due in the first instance, to concen: trating attention on the best equipped and most productive mines, with a cor- responding reduct fe the total num- ber of employes.’ "1924-25 the av- erage number of Workers engaged in the coal industry 162,500, the number of hewers ‘Peing 23,574. There has been a slight further reduction | during’ 1924-26, but ‘fh view of the ex- tenfed plans for ‘ifidustrial develop- ment, there is likél¥*to be a progres- sive increase in-the umber of work- ers engaged in coal $foduction during the current economii¢ year. The efficiency “of production, as measured by the étitput per worker, was in 1924-25 abotit71 per cent of the prewar level if fhe Donetz basin, and 94 per cent of/the prewar level in the Kuzngtz baéfir (Siberia). In Output of Principal Coalfields, general the output per worker repre- sents about 80 per cent of the prewar figure, as compared with 90 per cent in Great Britain. ui iy improvements in the efficiency of working have been ‘obtained by a gradual improvement in the methods of extraction of coal and in adminis- tration, and not at the expense of the worker. Considerable capital expen- diture has been necessary to restore the working efficiency of the mines, especially in the Donetz basin, the to- tal amount spent under this head in the Soviet Union increasing from 6,000,000 rubles in 1922-23 to 26,500,- 000 rubles in 1923-24. Rapid progress is now taking place in the ‘introduction of mechanical equipment, In the mines of the Don- etz basin during 1924-25 about 7 per cent of the output was obtained by the use of coal cutters, while in 1925-226 there will be over 200 machines at work yielding almost double that amount. The great advances made in the general conditions of life and labor of the workers have been noted’ in the report of the British Trade Union delegation. Coal hewers work only six hours a day, other grades eight hours. All miners get a month's holiday with tull pay. ONEY wages (35-50 rubles per month in the Donetz basin) rep- resent only half, or less than half, of the real wages of the miners. Hous- ing conditions have been greatly im- proved, no rent for houses being charged, while all the municipal ‘sery- ices such as gas, electricity, tram- ways, etc., are free,.as are also social (In Thousand Tons.) Estimate Coalfield 1913 1921-22 « 1922-23 . 1923-24 * 1924-25 1925-26 Donetz basin ... 6,550 8,000 11,900 12,000 19,300 Moscow basin 292 618 740 651 549) Dral ..... 1,180 1,005, 1,140 1,010 , 1,270) f Siberia (Kuznetz basin) 910 1,817 & 1,350 1,300 1,060} 3,200 + Far East 340 610 646 630 690) Other regions 275 oot 107 175 150 Total .... 10,100 11,983 15,666 4 15,719 22,500 Labor in Far. ian class in the countries of the Far East is of the first importance to the working class movement of the West. The accounts told in this, the third article of the series by Com- rade Semaoen of Java, of recent strike movements led by Commun- ists and Red Trade Unions of Indo- nesia tell a story far more signifi- cant than a similar number of strikes with a similar number of workers an any ocidental country. For Holland lives upon her colon- ies, as do various other imperialist powers, and once the colonial peo- ples are imbued with the message of Communism, imperialism is doomed. The*fourth and last ser- jes of these articles, furnished by The rising of a distinct proletar- the Trade Union Educational League, will appear tomorrow, eee ARTICLE IL HAT the trade union movement in Indonesia is only active under the leadership of the Communists is proven by the .events which took place in earlier days. The small strikes which have occurred from the beginning of this year prove that our working class is willing to undertake in offensive movement for inereased waves, guarantees for more certain work, etc. From Mist May till the | Bi, ot August the following strikes led by the Red Trade Unions above mentioned were registered’ by ‘ommunist organ Apy. All the stri ‘of an offensive character: eb ’ ve si ony 1. May ir! generat: strike of coach- men (800 strikers}: at the town of Solo. ri 2. May 7, striké@bf 160 workers of the sugar factory *Pétjanga-an. Police persecutions: strik®’ could not be ex- tended into a, getibral strike. 3. May 9, strike”6f 50 porters at the railway depot at ‘fJikam| Police compelled the stftkers to work but the latter refused!" People of the dis- trict. sympathized’ with the strikers. Railway management unable to get scabs, Porters re recruited from other districts buf refused to work when they knew they were to break the strike. Strike, nded with Victory tor the workers,?” . tavia. Ended in a compromise, 5. May 12, strike of 32 workers “in the lime-kiln at Batavia. Victory for the workers, 6, May 13, strike in the H. Bunning | Printery at Djokdja and in the Indo- nesische Drukkery (prints the unoffi- cial propaganda organ of the govern- ment in Malayan, Hindia Baroe, ed- itor Hadji Salin, leader of the Sarekat Islam (opposed to Communists) in Ba- tavia), Strikebreakers recruited re- fused to work. All told 300 printers involved, 7. May 16, strike of 50 printers in the De Echo printipg office at Djember and 40 artists insthe Tjabja Semarang theater in the town of Semarang. 8, May 28, jal strike in the é| Pakis sugar fact at Paty, Strong oppression by » On June 7 the strike was extended and then in- ‘ i s insurance, provision of rest houses, etc> The legal number of working days per month, upon which the minimum wage is calculated, is 18 for hewers and 22 for other underground work- ers. Miners are provided with boots and special suits for work free of charge. - For abnormal working places the hours of work are reduced, while time lost by the miner thru no foult of his own is always paid for at full ordinary rates... In event of accident, or affliction by any industrial disease, the miner is paid full wages.for the first three ‘ months, after. which his. case is dealt with by a spectal committee on which miners are fully, represented. HE revival of the-coal. industry pro- eeeded so much faster than the re- vival of the big “industries that con- stitute the largest.consumers of coal fuel, especially the metal industry and the railways, that>:by. 1924 consider- able stocks of ‘coal had accumulated. The situation was partly met by an embargo on coal/imports and a wide- spread campaign for the more extend- ed use of coal feelin place of wood and other fortis “of fuel. The prosperous harvest this year and the big industrial development that this makes possible insure now that there will:be,no difficulty in dis- Posing of stocks. ;Already at the be- ginning of 1925. the. position had alter- ed, as can be seen. from.the fact that while, during the, first half of 1923-24, the net production, of coal exceeded the amount dispatched from the coal- fields by two million tons, in the half of 1924-25 the excess was only 450,000 tons. The total consumption of coal in the Soviet Union in 1923-24 was 11,- 100,000 tons, of which 210,000 tons were imported. The total included 190,000 tons of anthracite. Imports in 1923-24 consisted entirely of British coal. In 1912 coal imports amounted to about 4,850,000 tons, roughly two- thirds of which was British coal, (OAL exports from the Soviet Union in 1923-24 amounted to 100,000 tons, volved 250 workers, oppression, | 9 May 20, strike of 50 workers in the hospital of Sawah-lunt (Sumatra), Police persecutions, 10, June 2, strike of 50 workers in the Angtjiwie Hien rice factory at Babat. The strike ended in victory for the workers, 11. June 4, strike of 30 workers in the military engineers’ service at Ku- pang on Timor Island, where many deported revolutionaries are living, In spite of persecutions strike continues. 12, June 10, partial strike of 25 porters in the Atjeh tramway service at Langsa. Police persecutions unsuc- cessful, Strikers won, 13. June 1, strike of 60 prifiters in a small printing office at Djokdja, 14, June 16, strike of 100 coolies at the public works in Banjoemas. Strik- ers won, * 15, July 3, strike of 40 workers in the Weltevreden steam laundry, , T may be added that I have no cop. jes of Apy later than July 38, but from other papers I read of the fol- lowing: From the Algemeen Handelsblad, Amsterdam, Aug. 26: Armed police dispersed a demonstration of 100 work- ers employed at the central hospital at Batavia on July 27. Twenty of the demonstrators have been discharged. Thirty-six workers then ent fn strike, 7 arrested. Continual police at the Semarang hospital, di One of the strike leaders is A later telegram tells of this. ies rade's arrest. He is one of the East (indonesia) By Semaoen Semaoen erest leaders the ‘Communist Party has. Attended the £920.R, IL. U. congress, I think he willbe deported to a small island ‘somewhere in the archipegalo. HE harbor strike. al “Semarang (where Comrade Dereouasde work- ing) is general, 1,200 *men involved; 400 more join in la’ Hitbor serv- ice completely stop; trikebreak- ers from other places eu ’d to work. A law forbidding the holding of meet- ings in Semarang province, is . being} enforced, A general striker of. 1,000 printers then broke outs ‘Phe: printing firms forthwith consented/ito.the eco- nomic demands of the striker; here again a victory for the’workers has to be recordedi* At’ the same time there was a strike of printers at Makkasar in the Celebes, The harbor strike. has gone down, but the port fleet is at a complete standstill on account of the sabotage that is taking place. The Konink- Njke Pakketvaart Maatschappij has therefore established a new service with its own fleet and better working conditions. The new staffs include some of the strikers, pee law prohibiting ‘meetings will be a stumbling block to the rail- Way union congress due to, be held at Semarang. Of late there has been a great deal of talk about.a fresh rail- have as yet no news, Perhapg it has Twelve of the 86 strikers iste iyi way strike, Regarding the congress |, _| ben postponed or held nD etor some other reason, _ (Continued tomortow) SFR dial Rares .tion where it would appear as. an the greater part being exports from Siberia to Manchuria, the and was based upon the situation ont limed above: IRST, the Sigmanites became er dent apostles of unity and tried maneuver the left wing into a & i structionist bloc. It this drive would put the left. wing a frame of mind where honest desire to preserve enter into a compromise on the union which it would have time explaining to the rank and eee A lowing. The. other side to-the strategy of the machine was provocation of the left wing, abuse of its leadens, en- botage of such provisions of the peace agreement as amnesty, the shop dele- gate system, the referendum vote on important, issues and the matter of proportional. representation to the joint boards. It was hoped that by such methods the left wing could be irritated into open secession or at least into fol- lowing a policy which would ultimate- ly result in @ split for which respon- sibility Could be fastened upon it and particularly upon its Communist sec- tion. The most important convention fec- ord is the maneuvers of the machine in developing the two-sided strategy and the counter-offensive of the left wing by which it avoided both of these disastrous deviations from ‘the straight line of struggle. (To be continued.) By THE LABOR RESEARCH Dew (England) amount from the Donetz basin being only 19,500 tons. Plans were made for export of 162,000 tons of coal during 1925, but there is reason to believe that the actual figure will be, about three times this amount. Over 97,200 tons were exported in June and July alone. The first big contracts for coal ex- port in Europe were made with Italy, which by one contract alone has agreed to take 486,000 tons’ 5; over three years. . Negotiations have ben proceeding for the conclusion of agreements for export of coal to France and Austria. Casual Reviews By HENRY GEORGE WEISS genius in one line of endeavor and a dumb-bell in another, is amply de- monstrated by B. B. Fournier -d’Albe; D. Sc. FP, Inst. P., ete., in his little book “Quo Vadimus?—Some Glimpses of The Future,” publighed by E. E. Dutton & company, and obtainable in any public library thruout the country, The book is a révelation of ‘the author's utter ignorance in regaris to Marxian economics. He has not the slightest conception of what coristi- tutes the real values of commodities; nor the least understanding of the material definition, of history. Of the first we can be sure because he never alludes to it; and in regards to the second he makes a laughable asser- tion that is too good not to mention more fully, On pages 25 and 26 he states: “The two great empires—British and Jap-_ anese; and the two great’ republi¢s—~ France and U. S. A.—will, if they can agree, form a good nucleus for a fed- eration of the world.” “If they can agree.” Nothing at all about the forces that might them from agreeing. Nothing about, the economic factors inherent in capital- ism that makes them antagonistic to one another. If they can agree, says, they will. . . Could anything richer? , In another part of the book is another gem of reasoning, Be “A tribe of shepherds requires water. There is pne man who knows the lo cation of a well. His "knowledge is a private property which he’ offers 11 for a number of cows. ou ho ld be done if the man is (a) cessible and undefended; (b) inacces- sible,” Again: . ful head of hair, “could be abroad for Aeron le sum. hon property is it?” Such problems ‘gun seriousness. by a man of scle: nee would be almost laughable, if-it wise not for the fact.that ignorance—even geois ignorance— is. always a The whole book. would (Continued from page 1), keep them in jail, They. only: them loose when labor gives an. class prisoners are rotting eee fornia’s dungeons, tho any crime. Yet some all keep on hurling thunderbolts ; viet Russia, because ren tried to eyerthrow the wi ernment iis ‘confinement. WORKER says about it, tee The fact that a man may be # . PS EA RI RNA SELL i ERS